The Russian Federal security service (FSB) in the course of the investigation into the case of an explosion of a gas pipeline in Crimea has received data on the connection between the Mejlis organization banned in Russia and the Ukrainian security services. This was reported to TASS on Wednesday by the FSB's Center for public relations (CPR).
"The Federal security service, as part of an investigation into a criminal case against three Russian citizens involved in the sabotage of a gas pipeline near the village of Perevalnoye in the Republic of Crimea, has received information about links between the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People (Mejlis), an organization banned in Russia, and the Ukrainian special services," the CPR said.
In addition, the military intelligence through the Mejlis was preparing protest actions of the Crimean Tatars in Crimea. "According to the detainees, in addition to participation in the preparation of sabotage, the Chief directorate of intelligence of the Ministry of defense of Ukraine (GUR) through the Mejlis tried to organize protest actions of the Crimean Tatar population against the legitimate actions of the authorities and law enforcement agencies of the Republic of Crimea," the FSB stressed.
Earlier, the Russian federal security service officers detained three Crimean residents: an intermediary - the deputy chairman of the Mejlis Nariman Dzhelyalov, the direct perpetrators of the sabotage on the gas pipeline Asan and Aziz Akhtemov. In the course of operative measures and investigative actions, it was established that the sabotage was organized by the territorial subdivision of GUR in Kherson - the so-called Tavria operational service with the participation of the Mejlis organization, which is banned in Russia. On the instructions of one of its leaders in June, the perpetrators traveled to Kherson, Ukraine, where intelligence service officers trained them in bomb-making, and the Ukrainian military intelligence service promised them about $2,000 for committing the sabotage.
The explosive device was conspiratorially delivered to Crimea in July. The gas pipeline was blown up in August. According to the FSB, the organizers of the sabotage are - Riza Yagyaev-Veliulaev - a GUR agent who fled Crimea after the disrupted terrorist action in August 2016, in the complicity of which he participated, as well as his handlers - a Ukrainian military intelligence officer Maxim Martynyuk and his immediate supervisor, the head of the Tavria operational service - Viktor Zelinsky. "The specified sabotage was sanctioned by the head of the GUR of the Ministry of defense of Ukraine Kirill Budanov - a participant in the failed action in 2016," the FSB stressed.
A criminal case was opened on the fact of sabotage on the gas pipeline. Part 1 of Article 281 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Diversion") provides for imprisonment for 10 to 15 years.
Preventing anti-Russian actions of the Mejlis
In five years, the Russian federal security service prevented 53 anti-Russian actions of the Mejlis. "The main conductor of the Ukrainian revanchist policy and moderator of protest and separatist manifestations in the Republic of Crimea is the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people ('Mejlis', 'leader' of the Crimean Tatars and honorary member of the 'Mejlis' M. Dzhemilev, chairman R. Chubarov, deputy chairman N. Jelialov)," noted the FSB CPR.
"Since April 2016, 32 supporters of the Mejlis were convicted under various articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including those of a general criminal nature, 50 were prosecuted, 306 were administratively prosecuted, 33 were denied entry, 53 anti-Russian actions were prevented, 301 prosecutorial warnings and 297 warnings were issued by police," the CPR reported.
The FSB noted that the Mejlis systematically attempts to provoke interethnic and religious conflicts by carrying out targeted extremist actions, disrupting election campaigns and organizing mass disturbances.
"Despite the extremist and general criminal nature of the activities of the participants and supporters of the Mejlis, the results of its suppression are positioned by foreign media as 'purposeful actions of the Russian authorities aimed at infringing the rights of the Crimean Tatar people and their genocide,'" the FSB reported.
Banned organization
On April 26, 2016, the decision of the Supreme court of Crimea recognized the Mejlis as an extremist organization, and its activities on the territory of the Russian Federation are banned. It was the organizer of the mass riots in Simferopol in front of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in February 2014. Two people were killed and 79 were injured then. On May 3, 2014, on the day of the national holiday Khydyrlez, the Mejlis organized an illegal crossing of the state border by 200 Crimean Tatars near the Turetsky Val checkpoint in Armyansk to meet Dzhemilev; major republican roads were also blocked.
On September 20, 2015, a "civil blockade of Crimea" was imposed to stop food supplies to the peninsula, and on November 22 of the same year a "power blockade of Crimea" was imposed by blowing up four transmission towers at the Kakhovka-Ostrovskoye and Kakhovka-Dzhankoi sections near the Chaplynka urban-type settlement in the Kherson region of Ukraine. As a result, 876 settlements were de-energized. On December 2, 2015, in order to violate the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation (the return of Crimea to Ukraine), an armed "formation" not provided for in the federal legislation of Ukraine, the Chelebidzhikha Battalion, was created.
During the 2014-2021 election campaigns, under the threat of physical reprisals, they called for boycotting the elections, refusing to interact with the authorities, and shifting the protest activity to other regions of Russia. In addition, on significant dates for the Crimean Tatars (Deportation Day - May 18, Crimean Tatar Flag Day - June 26, etc.), the Mejlis systematically holds unsanctioned actions: rallies, car rallies, etc. on the territory of Crimea.
In 2017, deputy heads of the Mejlis Chiygoz were sentenced to eight years in prison and Umerov to two years in prison. In 2018, Steshenko was sentenced to two years in prison for the attempted arson of the house of the mufti of Crimea at the direction of the leader of the Mejlis Dzhemilev. Other participants of the crime, Veliev and Tretyakov, who fled to the territory of Ukraine, are wanted under Article 282.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Organization of an extremist community").
The decision of the Supreme court of Crimea in 2020 sentenced in absentia to 19 years of imprisonment an active supporter of the Mejlis, Islyamov, who is on the territory of Ukraine, for organizing an illegal armed formation and sabotage. In 2021, the Chairman of the Mejlis Chubarov, who is also hiding in Ukraine, was sentenced in absentia to six years in prison for organizing mass riots and public calls for violation of the territorial integrity of Russia.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS